FAQs

Browse our games, add what you want to your cart, and check out. You can check out as a guest, or create an account to save your info for next time.

No — guest checkout is always available. Creating an account lets you track your order history and save addresses for faster checkout, but it's never required to make a purchase.

Yes. You'll receive a confirmation email right after checkout with your order details, and a second email with tracking information as soon as your order ships.

Because we ship fast, there's a narrow window. Email us at support@thegameconnection.com as soon as possible and we'll do our best to catch it before it goes out. Once an order has shipped, we can't cancel it — but you can return it once it arrives under our return policy.

Yes. Our store runs on Shopify, which is PCI DSS Level 1 certified — the highest standard for payment security. All transactions are encrypted end-to-end, and we never see or store your full credit card details. Checkout is handled directly by Shopify's secure payment processors.

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), as well as Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You'll see the full list of options at checkout.

We're based in California, so orders shipping to California addresses are subject to California sales tax. Orders shipping outside of California are not charged sales tax by us.

Your card is charged at the time you place your order, not when it ships. If for any reason we can't fulfill your order, we'll refund you right away.

Shipping is $6.99 or $8.99 flat rate based on size for orders under $75, and free on orders $75 and up within the continental US. Hawaii, Alaska, APO/FPO, and US territories ship at calculated USPS rates at checkout. Full details on our Shipping & Returns page.

Most orders placed before 2pm PT on weekdays ship the same day. Orders placed after 2pm PT, on weekends, or on holidays ship the next business day.

We ship from Southern California via USPS Ground Advantage. Most orders arrive in 2–5 business days, with faster delivery to West Coast addresses.

Not at this time. We currently ship within the United States only, including Hawaii, Alaska, APO/FPO addresses, and US territories.

You'll get a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships. You can also view tracking info in your account under Order History if you checked out with an account.

We accept returns on unopened games in original condition within 60 days of purchase. Return shipping is the customer's responsibility unless the return is due to our error or a defective product. Full details on our Shipping & Returns page.

Email us at support@thegameconnection.com with your order number and the reason for return. We'll send you a return authorization number and the shipping address. Please don't ship anything back before hearing from us.

Once we receive and inspect your return, we'll issue your refund to the original payment method within 5 business days. Depending on your bank, it may take a few additional days to appear on your statement.

Contact us at support@thegameconnection.com within 7 days of delivery. Include your order number and photos of the damage — both the shipping box and the game itself if possible. We'll make it right with a replacement or full refund, with no return shipping cost to you.

Unfortunately not. Once a game has been opened or played, we can't resell it as new, so we can't accept it as a return. If you're on the fence about a game, reach out before you order — we're happy to help you figure out if it's the right fit.

I'm Don — lifelong gamer, Southern California local, and founder of The Game Connection. We're a small, independent retailer, with my family helping bring it to life. I started this store because gaming has a way of bringing people together — something I rediscovered firsthand a few years back when a local gaming group gave me back a community I didn't realize I was missing. I want to help other people find the games that do the same for them.

Our goal is to play every game we stock. We don't always get there — new releases don't let you — so for games we haven't played yet, we rely on a mix of reviews, community word of mouth, convention floor time, and our own genuine excitement about the game. If it doesn't pass at least one of those filters, it doesn't make the shelf. The catalog grows slowly and deliberately. "Everything ever printed" is Amazon's job, not ours.

We're small by choice. When you buy from us, you're buying from a team that actually plays these games, that can tell you whether Wingspan or Finspan is the better first pick, and that would rather help you find the right game than close a sale on the wrong one. Personal service, honest recommendations, and a carefully picked shelf are the whole reason we exist.

Yes. Everything we sell is brand new, sealed from the publisher or distributor. No secondhand, no open-box, no previously-used demo copies.

Yes — this is honestly the part we love most. Email us at support@thegameconnection.com and tell us what you like, who you're playing with, and what you're hoping to get out of game night. We'd rather spend ten minutes helping you find the right game than sell you the wrong one.

South Orange County, California. Everything ships from here, which means faster delivery to the West Coast and real care put into every order.

Email is the best way to reach us: support@thegameconnection.com. We answer every message personally.

Within one business day, usually within a few hours. If you send a question in the middle of our workday, there's a good chance you'll hear back the same afternoon.

Not at this time. Email works better for us and for you — it gives us a record of the conversation, lets us share photos or links if needed, and means nothing falls through the cracks. We promise we're quick.

We'd love to have you. You can find us on:

• YouTube — game reviews, playthroughs, and the longer-form stuff
• Instagram — new arrivals, table shots, and behind-the-scenes
• TikTok — quick takes and gaming moments

For anything store-related — orders, returns, product questions — email is still the fastest way to reach us.